WordPress theme: $38; an entire mobile website: $15; your website up-and-running without having to hack someone else’s code, that’s priceless!The commoditization of the web design and development is inevitable. We live in a world that is saturated with options. When it comes to web and mobile development-and-design, there are tons of alternatives, frameworks, and examples to choose from. Even when designers and developers may choose to start a project from scratch, it is common that the end solution might look like something that already exists.Is your problem really different?If you ask 100 architects to design a house for a middle class family located on a 5,000 sqft lot, in the suburb, chances are that you will have 100 different designs. There is no doubt, that each design will consider the minimum requirements –in theory, however, each of the designer will probably emphasize different aspects of the family members, or the house location, to express their individual viewpoints. There is nothing wrong with original work. Unfortunately, high demand and financial constraints, make impossible to always start from a blank canvas.Are we running out of original solutions?The lack of originality is not a sole responsibility of designers and developers. On a daily basis we are all challenged with problems that we have seen before. After a while we become experts and re-implementing the same solutions is faster, and it can be done in a more systematic way. Things can be done faster, faster make them cheaper, and since the solutions are repetitive, they can be put in a system that does not require the designer nor the developer to implement it. It becomes a commodity.On the bright side, design and development have become commodities at the right moment. Nowadays we have tools, frameworks, reference material, and technology in general, makes everything a lot easier. Now that doing things is easier, the time can be spent in more creative tasks and connecting with customers and clients to really understand their needs.ConclusionMore and more designers and developers work is about taking general purpose content and turn it into individual expression. The commoditization is not a problem that needs to be fought, it is a cause to embrace. In technology, it is inevitable the resources become cheaper and more efficient. We now can do more in less time with less resources. This is the best time ever. It is the time to think out of the box and try more things while maintaining high productivity and competitive prices.

This article is the first in a series that will explain the many facets of garden design and provide you with the knowledge required to plan a functional and aesthetically pleasing garden. In these articles you will find the necessary information required to undertake your own garden project from conception through to completion.Every garden benefits from good garden design. Whatever your expectations are, planning and design are essential. One of the first questions I ask a client (as a design consultant) is “what do you want from your garden?” The planning will focus on these needs and create a personalized garden that can be enjoyed by everyone for years to come.To provide a definitive guide on garden design I would need to be writing a 500-page book, so we will only look at the absolute basics in this article. One thing I have learnt over the past twenty plus years as a garden designer is that few of us are totally content with our gardens. Despite the immense pleasure we derive from them, there is always something that could be better.Many long for a larger garden, a few for something smaller and more manageable, but the vast majority will make the best of their existing plots. Improving our garden spaces, coaxing the maximum impact from them is an enjoyable challenge that most avid green thumbs would rise to. The trick of course is knowing how!Gardening is essentially about growing plants, but the setting in which we place them is probably the single most important element that makes a garden appealing or otherwise. Personal tastes in garden styles vary as much as in other aspects of living, and what appeals to one person may not appeal to another. The true test of good garden design is whether the result appeals to you. As a garden designer I have always seen my role as a facilitator, aiming to assist my clients to create a garden that reflects their taste and personality.A good garden designer will open a magic box of inspiration and imagination. We show you what other enthusiastic gardeners have done, and how others have made the most of potentially insurmountable plot issues.Your own level of interest is the key factor to consider when making a decision to have your garden designed and constructed by professionals or taking on the project yourself. It will cost you a great deal of money and the chances are that it won’t give you as much satisfaction as having created a garden through your own efforts.Engaging a design consultant to explain the basic techniques and perhaps provide some inspirational ideas may be all you need to get the ball rolling. In the end only you can decide what is right for your garden. Tastes in gardens vary as much as in interior design and preferences for art or music. The true acid test of whether your new garden design has worked is only gauged by the pleasure that it gives you.Make use of a professional designer by allowing them to suggest ideas and explain the techniques they use. Have faith in your own ability to soak up their inspiration and experiment on paper. You will soon develop skills that will enable you to design your garden with confidence.The best gardens are carefully planned. The most important elements include:
Creating your wish-list
Surveying and measuring
Drawing your plans
Creating patterns
Choosing a formal or informal layout
Understanding garden styles and themes
Using shapes – both geometric and unusual
Overcoming gradients
Front versus back gardens
Creating Illusions
Preparing a planting schedule
Maintenance – high or low
Understanding these facets of landscape design will enable you to create a 3-dimensional image in your mind of the desired end result.In future articles I will look at some of these specific elements of sound garden design in more detail, and provide you with the information required to tackle a design project yourself. A little knowledge goes a long way and I have no doubt that you will surprise yourself by discovering exactly what you can achieve.As always… Happy gardening!